


Bonfire Heart

by jupiter_james



Series: Burn Down the Sky Universe [4]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: M/M, nothing but fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-06
Updated: 2016-01-06
Packaged: 2018-05-12 06:00:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5655037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jupiter_james/pseuds/jupiter_james
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ficlet in the BDtS series following Kaidan and Ianto through their relationship and how they discover Their Song.</p><p><b>HUGE</b> thank you to <a href="http://ltleflrt.tumblr.com">ltleflrt</a> for suggesting this as the BDtS theme song!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bonfire Heart

**Author's Note:**

> This is now the official theme song to Burn Down the Sky. It is James Blunt's [Bonfire Heart](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1j1qwQQ8-Q). 
> 
> The lyrics appear occasionally in the fic, and are:  
> Your mouth is a revolver firing bullets in the sky  
> Your love is like a soldier, loyal till you die  
> And I've been looking at the stars for a long, long time  
> I've been putting out fires all my life  
> Everybody wants a flame, but they don't want to get burnt  
> And today is our turn
> 
> Days like these lead to  
> Nights like this leads to  
> Love like ours  
> You light the spark in my bonfire heart  
> People like us we don't  
> need that much just someone that starts  
> starts the spark in our bonfire hearts
> 
> This world is getting colder, strangers passing by  
> No one offers you a shoulder, no one looks you in the eye  
> But I've been looking at you for a long, long time  
> Just trying to break through, trying to make you mine  
> Everybody wants a flame, they don't want to get burnt  
> Well today is our turn
> 
> Days like these lead to  
> Nights like this leads to  
> Love like ours  
> You light the spark in my bonfire heart  
> People like us we don't  
> Need that much just someone that starts  
> Starts the spark in our bonfire hearts  
> Our bonfire hearts  
> Our bonfire hearts  
> Our bonfire hearts  
> You like the spark
> 
> People like us we don't  
> Need that much just someone that starts  
> Starts the spark in our bonfire hearts
> 
> Days like these lead to  
> Nights like this leads to  
> Love like ours  
> You light the spark in my bonfire heart  
> People like us we don't  
> Need that much just someone that starts  
> Starts the spark in our bonfire heart  
> Our bonfire hearts
> 
> Days like these lead to  
> Nights like this leads to  
> Love like ours  
> You light the spark in my bonfire heart  
> People like us we don't  
> Need that much just someone that starts  
> Starts the spark in our bonfire heart

The first time he hears the song, Kaidan is helping Liara clean out the ambulance towards the end of their shift and she's turned on her iPod mix on the rig's shitty speakers. The tinny songs have all been upbeat to counteract the heat exhaustion they've been feeling despite the slow day. But the tune gives him a small extra wind to finish the chores around the station before it's time to go home and get some real sleep.

"I haven't seen you smile like that in some time," Liara says, eyeing him with humor.

Kaidan shrugs and snaps the towel he's been using to wipe down the lights. "I like this song. It makes me feel light. What's it called?"

"Bonfire Heart," she answers as she finishes inventory.

He gives the song his undivided attention for a second. " _People like us we don't / need that much just someone that starts / starts the spark in our bonfire hearts  
_."

Ianto walks by just then and salutes with his clipboard, giving Kaidan a wink while he talks on his cell phone. Then his attention is taken back by the voice on the other end of the line. "Yeah, I get that Miranda," he says as he disappears around the back of the engine for a thorough inspection. "I'll call you back when I'm done here."

Liara slides up next to Kaidan and rests her chin on his shoulder as the hums the chorus to the song.

"Huh," Kaidan says, making a mental note to find the song to download later.

***

His hands hadn't sweated this much since he'd been on that date with Rhana back in high school. He's almost to Shepard's house for their relaxing 4th of July dinner. Two blocks away, he turns the dial on his stereo up until it's almost painfully loud. James Blunt is busy singing about not needing that much but to light a spark in his bonfire heart, and Kaidan feels both thrilled by the sentiment and terrified.

He glances over at the bowl of potato salad in the passenger seat, the recipe for which his grandmother had given to him that morning over the phone while trying not to sound like she was about to explode with curiosity as to why he wanted such an _important_ and _treasured_ family recipe, Kaidan. 

He parks right behind the Bel Air in Shepard's driveway, heart lurching when James Blunt reminds him that " _Days like these lead to / Nights like this_." He sounds joyful about it, but Kaidan feels like he's got one foot over the side of a burning building right before jumping and is taking it on faith that the rescue bladder at the bottom is inflated enough to catch him without him breaking something when he leaps.

***

When the song comes on the radio as Shepard drives them downtown to the fancy sushi restaurant for their first official date.

Shepard is the first to pick up on it and sing the lyrics that he remembers under his breath. Kaidan normally would have appreciated the tune, and probably teased Shepard for only knowing half of the lyrics, but he's too busy thinking about what they're supposed to talk about. Or not talk about. He knows what he _wants_ to talk about.

He wants to talk about _them_. About where they're going and where he wants to go. But the mood is good. Shepard looks calm and happy. "You seem different," Kaidan says.

A quick glance of green eyes shining with humor gives him a fairly decent answer. "Do I?"

"Yeah." Kaidan takes the luxury of being able to study Ianto's profile carefully while the taller man keeps his eyes on the road. "You're more relaxed, I guess."

Shepard shrugs. "Why wouldn't I be? The radio station is playing good music for once, it's finally cooling down outside, and I'm going on a date with a hot firefighter. I'd have to be a real idiot to not be happy." He grins and Kaidan's infected by it.

"Nice to know you appreciate the little things."

Without looking away from the windshield, Ianto reaches over and takes Kaidan's hand. His grip is firm and warm as he threads their fingers together. "There's nothing little about it," he says.

***

Kaidan is standing in his kitchen flipping grilled cheese in the pan. The satellite radio plays on low, and he's not even paying much attention when the intro begins. By the first chorus, he's tapping his foot in time to the beat and turns the volume up when he passes the remote as he crosses the kitchen to get some pepper for the tomato soup. Then he turns it up some more on the way back to the stove. It's loud enough now that he can't hear Ianto enter the kitchen behind him while he's busy nodding his head to the tune and turning the gas burners off.

The second his hand leaves the burner's knob, he startles as he's swept up into a pair of strong arms and turned around. Ianto is grinning and swings them around in an exaggerated, and terribly coordinated waltz-ish. Then they're tripping on their feet and knocking into the counters and laughing like a couple of teenagers.

At some point, Kaidan finds his forehead pressed against Ianto's chest and they're just swaying through the last verse. Kaidan's fingers curl into Ianto's green and white henley against his firm back muscles. They never find the exact beat of the music to dance to, but it doesn't matter when Ianto tilts his head down and they kiss through the rest of the song. It's a soft thing. Lips barely moving against each other. And instead of the usual eruption of desire, Kaidan feels a distinct burn of unmistakable love for the other man. Their hearts pound quickly together, chest to chest. It's a perfect moment in a perfect time as the tomato soup gets cold.

***

It's been one of Those Days. Three tough calls in a row, taking up most of the afternoon and evening. Everyone is exhausted, and after the last house fire call, Kaidan can't even bring himself to go to the showers upon returning to the station. The soot and ash is gritty on the back of his neck; stuck like glue in his sweat. But he's found a comfortable position on the couch in the common room, and he's not moving until he absolutely has to. His head is propped up in Ianto's lap, feet stretched out across the rest of the couch and kicked up over the armrest. And the other lieutenant looks just as exhausted. His bloodshot eyes, irritated from the smoke, are turned towards the television, but his expression is blank and glassy like he's not even seeing it.

Kaidan slips his earbuds in and turns on his cell phone to the music app. His eyes sting when he closes them despite the massive amounts of eye drops he'd used earlier to clear them. Still, as uncomfortable as he is, he's content. He's halfway to dozing when his foot starts bouncing to the next song on his playlist. He doesn't realize he's singing softly; voice rough from the smoke inhalation, until Ianto's hooded and tired gaze slowly lights on him. Despite his clear bone-weary exhaustion, the corners of his eyes crinkle with an affectionate smile.

" _But I’ve been looking at you / For a long, long time / Just trying to break through, / Trying to make you mine_ ," Kaidan murmur-sings, slurring the words as he starts to doze for real.

His eyes shut again and he feels long fingers entwine with his and Shepard plucks one of his earbuds out and puts it in his own ear, picking up the lyrics with his off-tune and so-hoarse-it's-almost-gone voice. " _Everybody wants a flame, / They don’t want to get burnt / Well, today is our turn_."

They both fade out singing after that and are asleep before the song finishes, hands clinging to each other.

***

It's not an appropriate time to be listening to the song today. It's always been associated with good things. It's _good_. His little oasis when he needed it most. But now it _hurts_. He's not even sure why he can't bring himself to turn it off. He tries to convince himself that it's because the iPod is all the way across the living room and he's currently on the floor in the entryway leaning back against the door where he's just left Shepard and their relationship behind. It fucking _hurts_. He presses his knuckles against his closed eyes and tries not to let the indulgent smiles, warm touches, gentle kisses, and soft words morph into the harsh accusations, shrugged off touches, hard frowns, and sharp stares he'd just left Shepard with. The memories feel like they're a million years old now, an eternity for just the few months they'd had. All past tense now. And James Blunt doesn't know that. He continues to think that, " _People like us we don't / Need that much just someone that starts / Starts the spark in our bonfire hearts_."

"Fuck you," Kaidan growls over the wetness in his eyes and dryness in his throat. "I don't want that."

***

He's humming the song quietly while he scrambles eggs in Shepard's kitchen the morning after the Firefighter's Ball. His humming is a distraction, or perhaps a companion to his thoughts of Ashley and her accident and him and Ianto and how he's in love and it's almost Christmas. He'd said it last night. Ianto had lit that spark again and Kaidan had said, "I love you," and Shepard had said it back. And they'd kissed. And it was a brush of warm air in the middle of winter, fanned to a flame when they'd finally made it back home.

"That song sounds familiar," Shepard says from beside him as he pours a cup of coffee.

"Hmm?" Kaidan stops humming and the tendrils of the song almost disappear before he can register what the tune is. "Oh," he says as he catches it. "I dunno. I like it and it reminds me of you, for some reason." 

He feels lips on the back of his neck and a nose in the small curls of hair behind his ear. And in that moment he knows that he shouldn't be as happy as he is right then. He's barely back at work. Saren is still on the loose. There are so many variables that all equate to disaster.

But the equation this morning equals Shepard standing there still sleepy and tousled with a day of stubble he hasn't shaved yet. His breath smells like coffee when he presses against Kaidan's back and kisses his jaw close to the base of his ear. Kaidan is _happy_ and he hums the song some more and starts to let himself wish that he could stay just like this forever. Because maybe he was too quick to judge the joy in the song for being something it wasn't before. Maybe it's _exactly_ how it seems.

***

Shepard had been right when he'd warned Kaidan about drinking too much eggnog while putting up the Christmas decorations. The morning after is nothing short of horrible. A headache is brewing behind his eyes that he prays won't turn into a migraine later from being assaulted with the florescent lights in the clothing store.

The store's sound system is playing top 40 pop hits with Christmas songs tossed in every few minutes. After Taylor Swift is done shaking it off while Kaidan rubs his temples as he sorts through jeans, he hears James Blunt and his positivity. Kaidan scowls and grabs a few pairs in different washes, along with a pack of undershirts and boxer briefs. Today he resents the pop stars and their optimism. In fact, he'd kill for some pain killers and a nap. 

He looks around to find Shepard and locates him tucked between two racks of sweaters. He's smiling as he flicks from hanger to hanger, clearly enjoying trying to find Kaidan new clothes. Kaidan's animosity towards the pop stars fades ever-so slightly. He may have lost everything in the fire, but it's not the worst thing he can imagine anymore. He's living in Shepard's home, and the man's been doing everything he can to welcome Kaidan into the old house and shared memories. He's doing everything he can to speed up the process of Kaidan instinctively calling "his house," "their home." And it's working. Every day a little bit more.

***

The song doesn't come up again until the summer. It's the Fourth of July, and James and Garrus are setting up the firepit in the spacious backyard to light up after dark for roasting marshmallows.

It strikes Kaidan quite suddenly that the past year has made his life almost unrecognizable from the last. This time last year he'd been sitting in his car, in what was then Shepard's driveway; now _their_ driveway, and wiping his sweaty hands on his jeans because he'd been _certain_ that something was going to change from that day on. Then it all had. Still is. He's standing on the same porch where he kissed Ianto for the first time, exactly a year ago. And now Shepard is standing right next to him, holding his hand, and promising to be with him for the rest of his life.

They're watching Garrus and James continue to argue about how long to let the wood soak with accelerant before lighting it off. Garrus finally rips the matches away after a small tussle, lights one off, then tosses it over the pile while singing at the top of his voice, "you light the spark in my bonfire heart!" The dry wood catches quickly.

Kaidan chuckles. "That should be our first dance song."

"Only if you don't let Garrus sing it," Shepard answers. "You're right, though. Feels like our song, doesn't it?"

Kaidan leans against his shoulder. "I'll take it."


End file.
